 From The Riverbank News - July 23, 2008
RHS Drama Wins City Funding
The Riverbank High drama students invited to perform in Scotland have gotten their emergency funding.
The City of Riverbank has put up $2,250 to kick off the payment schedule for the 15 students who will travel to the world famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival next year.
In a desperate, last minute move, Rio Arts artistic director Joey Huestis told members of the Riverbank City Council on July 14 the group just that day had finished raising $2,750 for the security deposit due May 30 but still needed $2,250 to kick off the payment schedule at $150 per student.
She implored the city to donate or loan that amount to secure the individual student spots. Manager Rich Holmer said the city had never donated more than $100 in asituation of this kind. It had financed, for instance, an event for star runner German Fernandez. While a donation might be complicated by government restrictions on making a gift of public funds, a loan of this size might be possible, he suggested.
The next day, however, Holmer and City Attorney Tom Hallinan met with Huestis, changed their tune and announced the city would donate the full $2,250 from its special events fund.
"It affects the whole Riverbank community," said Holmer. "It's a very worthwhile event. We are making the donation to a non-profit organization. It's similar to funding the Cheese & Wine Festival or Beyond Earth Day." Huestis spoke on behalf of RHS drama teacher Stacy Blevins, who applied to the American High School Theater festival to have her drama studentsperf orm at the festival in a play she has yet to write.
The Riverbank application was successful. It was one of only eight high schools in the country and the only one in Northern California to be selected to go.
Rio Arts and other groups raised the security deposit from "people like Virginia, Sandy, Millie Sanders, JulieThompson, Debbie Libhart and people we don't even know," said Huestis in her remarks before the council. "This afternoon, Ken Yamauchi of HY Architects pledged the remainder we needed in the amount of $2,250. It is being overnighted to us and will be here tomorrow."
Rio Arts has raised the funds needed at once and has many applications in the works for grants and donations. But fundraising has only just begun. It will cost the 15 students selected about $5,700 each or a total of $86,000 for board, lodging, and travel for the weeklong trip.
hope you will consider doing this for these kids. This is huge fort hem. They are making a mark on the arts world and being shown that no dream is too big to dream," Huestis told the council.
"We have no doubt that together with the kids, support from Rio Arts and other non-profit organizations in this community like Women of Action,busine sses and corporations like HY architects and everyday people like you and me, we will have no problem raising the other (money) needed inthe next nine months and really show the world that Riverbank is the city of dramatic action!"
The next fundraiser, aimed at raising $7,500 by Sept. 13, will be the Murder Mystery Dinner at the Del RioTheater, she said. The date and time of that event are yet to be announced. JOHN BRANCH / THE NEWS / jbranch@oakdaleleader.com |
